The House suspended work and three Senate office buildings were closed yesterday as congressional leaders announcedthat 26 Senate staffers and five police officers had been exposed to anthrax spores that arrived in the office mailof Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle on Monday.

It was believed to be the first time since British troops burned the Capitol in 1814 that danger to lawmakers forceda congressional recess.

The letter sent to Daschle was found to contain a highly refined form of anthrax, suggesting it was produced byexperts. The particles are so tiny, they can float a considerable distance through the air on the smallest of aircurrents, without detection.

Producing germs that can spread as a mist has been the main technical challenge facing bioweapons programs throughoutthe 20th century.

Almost simultaneously, New York Gov. George E. Pataki announced that anthrax microbes had been detected in hisManhattan office.

Meanwhile, Centers for Disease Control announced yesterday that preliminary testing indicates the strain of anthraxthat infected workers at American Media Inc in Florida, is almost identical to the strain that arrived in a lettersent to NBC.

Stories

In a Democracy Now! special, we look at the acclaimed Broadway musical "Fun Home," which swept the Tony Awards last month. Composer Jeanine Tesori and lyricist Lisa Kron made history as the first female duo to win a Tony Award for Best Original Score. "Fun Home" is also the first-ever Broadway musical to feature a lesbian protagonist. The musical is based on the 2006 best-selling graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic." The memoir is a poignant exploration of family, memory, first love,...

Editions

Democracy Now!

Follow

Support Independent News

Democracy Now! is a 501(c)3 non-profit news organization. We do not accept funding from advertising, underwriting or government agencies. We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. Please do your part today.